x-factor question...

an old motto Ive lived by is not to target muscle if they are sore. Now, I have obviously grown accustomed to soreness and know when to workout and when not to.

Now I workout military training style where you do calisthenics every day, I may do several sets of pushups, pullups, dips, and abs 2-4 days in a row with varied high intensity cardio. I am sore most days but it doesnt last, and its not that bad.

If x-factor make you much more sore, does this mean that it would be bad to use in a training style such as this? Would I be putting myself at a higher risk for a muscle injury? Or does x-factor represent the exception to the rule?

To answer your question, X Factor WILL get you more intense DOMS. The way I see it is that it intensifies the effectiveness of your training routine. You should expect great results with this training routine. Personally, I love to be sore, some don't. It is up to you, but you will love it I am pretty sure

A pretty good discussion on muscle-growth and recovery was sparked by Medicine and Science Sports & Exercise 2001 Oct;33(10):1732-8. The study was as follows:

Purpose: This study examined the effects of a 7-day repeated maximal isokinetic eccentric training period on the indicators of muscle damage and inflammatory response.

Methods: Twenty-two college-age males were randomly assigned to eccentric training (ET) and control groups (CON). The initial exercise was 30 repetitions of maximal voluntary isokinetic eccentric contraction (ECC1) on non-dominant elbow flexors with Cybex 6000 at 60 degrees.s-1 angular velocity. The ET group performed the same exercise for the following 6 consecutive days (referred to as ECC2 to ECC7) after ECC1. Upper arm circumference (CIR), range of motion (ROM), and maximal isometric force (MIF) were measured before, immediately after, and every 24 h for 7 consecutive days after ECC1. Plasma creatine kinase (CK), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), glutamic oxaloacetate transaminase (GOT), leukocyte counts, and serum interleukin-1beta and -6 (IL-1beta, IL-6) levels were assessed before; at 2 h; and at 1, 3, 4, 6, and 7 d after ECC1. Muscle soreness was measured before and for 7 consecutive days after ECC1.

Results: The ECC1 produced significant changes in most of the measures for both groups, with the exception of leukocyte counts. No indicators of increased damage were found from the second consecutive day of eccentric training to the 7th day for the eccentric training group.

Conclusion: Continuous intensive isokinetic eccentric training performed with damaged muscles did not exacerbate muscle damage and inflammation after ECC1. In addition, a muscular "adaptation effect" may occur as early as 24 h after ECC1, as shown by the ET group's performance for 6 consecutive days after ECC1.